]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/composer-forum-spring-2015/16974/feed/0Open mics for spring: save the dates!http://libraries.mit.edu/news/open-mics-spring15/16941/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/open-mics-spring15/16941/#commentsThu, 15 Jan 2015 16:53:55 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=16941Library music! The Lewis Music Library open mic events are returning on the first Fridays of March, April, and May. Here’s your chance to play our piano or your own instrument. Free audience supplied for all performers.

Institute Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky, a prolific author, political activist, and philosopher, is one of MIT’s greatest scientists. He created the field of modern linguistics—the scientific study of language—and his political commentaries have sparked controversy and conversation for more than 50 years.

Join us for a live screening of an MIT Alumni Association Faculty Forum webcast with Professor Noam Chomsky on Tuesday, January 20, noon-12:45 p.m. in Killian Hall. This is a rare opportunity to hear Chomsky’s thoughts on a wide range of topics, as well as the recently established Chomsky Archive at MIT that includes his personal notes, drafts, correspondence, and other rare and unpublished materials. This event is free and open to the public, no registration is required.

Non-alumni can also watch the webcast and share their real-time thoughts and questions on Twitter using the hashtag #mitfaculty. (Check back to Slice of MIT on Monday, January 19, for viewing details for non-alumni.)

For a complete list of all the classes offered by the Libraries this IAP, please see our calendar of events.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/2015-culture-arts/16631/feed/0Last Open Mic of the semester Friday, December 5http://libraries.mit.edu/news/last-open-mic-dec-5/16615/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/last-open-mic-dec-5/16615/#commentsWed, 03 Dec 2014 16:06:22 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=16615Library music! First Friday of December = the last open mic of the semester. Here’s your chance to play our piano or your own instrument. Free audience supplied for all performers!

Longtime libraries administrator at Stanford tapped to lead MIT’s libraries and the MIT Press.

Chris Bourg has been named as the new director of the MIT Libraries, effective in February. Provost Martin Schmidt announced her appointment today in an email to the MIT community.

Bourg comes to MIT from Stanford University, where she is currently associate university librarian for public services. At Stanford, Bourg oversees the largest division of the Stanford University Libraries, with six branches and a collection of more than 4 million volumes.

Bourg “has a deep appreciation for the critical role of scholarly communication in a research university environment, and how this communication links to education and service to the community,” Schmidt wrote in his email to the community. “She also has considerable experience with leveraging the capabilities of digital technologies in order to enhance library services.”

Bourg joins the MIT Libraries and MIT Press at a pivotal time, and will play an important role in guiding the redesign and renovation of library spaces. She will also lead the exploration of the Libraries’ role in new modes of learning and global engagement, and advance MIT’s commitment and influence in the area of scholarly communication and open access.

“I am very much looking forward to working with Chris as she undertakes the leadership of the MIT Libraries, particularly at a time when the nature of library services is evolving to accommodate a variety of needs related to research and education,” Schmidt wrote. “I know you will join me in welcoming her to the MIT community.”

As a senior officer with oversight responsibility for the MIT Press, Bourg will also provide strategic guidance to the Press, expanding international engagement and managing its evolving business models. The MIT Press is one of the largest university presses in the world; it publishes journals, scholarly books, trade books, textbooks, and reference works in print and digital formats in a wide range of academic disciplines.

Bourg’s appointment follows a nationwide search that began after the death of the Libraries’ previous director of 17 years, Ann Wolpert, in October 2013.

“I have long admired MIT’s commitment to openness, inclusion, and innovation,” Bourg says. “It is an honor to join a community of faculty, staff, and students with a global reputation for excellence, integrity, and service. I look forward to engaging in conversations across the MIT community about the future of library spaces, services, and resources. Together, with the talented staff of the libraries and the MIT Press, we have the opportunity to build on MIT’s legacy and to be a leader in creating new models for scholarly communication and research libraries. I am eager to get started.”

A new website, “Unbox the Chomsky Archive,” offers a preview of some of the unique materials found in the collection, as well as a way to support the archival project. Through slideshows on the site you can explore Chomsky’s contributions to MIT, the field of linguistics, and his political activism, and dedication to social justice. Read notes Chomsky prepared for lectures, go to the front lines of political protests he attended, read his personal correspondence with other great thinkers, and learn how his views shaped the political discourse.

Additional funding is needed to further expand access to this valuable resource for students, researchers, and those wishing to preserve Chomsky’s remarkable legacy. A gift of any size will contribute to this important work. With your help we will:

Process the collection, ensuring that any restrictions, fragile materials, photographs, and digital materials are handled with care, and that materials are described accurately for researchers and future digitization purposes.

Digitize the collection so that researchers from all over the world can have access to the materials without physically visiting MIT.

To help us toward our $1.5 million goal, donate online by clicking the “Give Now” link on the site, or contact us at chomskyproject@mit.edu for more information.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/unboxing-chomsky-archive/16350/feed/0DJing at a glance: Nov. 4, 11am, Lewis Music Libraryhttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/djing-glance-nov-4/16230/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/djing-glance-nov-4/16230/#commentsWed, 22 Oct 2014 15:51:11 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=16230DJing at a Glance: The History of Beatmatching with Mmmmaven’s General Motor.

About the presenter:
General Motor (Gareth Middlebrook) works with all aspects of DJ technology, yet has a particular fondness for vinyl and old-school mixing and DJing. He has opened for some of the most cutting-edge DJs and producers in the world, including Ben UFO and Pearson Sound, in addition to keeping the beat in Boston for years.

You may know that for several years, MIT Libraries has had online books (2005+) from the prolific publisher Springer. Now we are pleased to announce the addition of approximately 47,320 more e-books across all fields of engineering, math, physics, life sciences, social sciences and more…through Springerlink!

Another great service available to MIT is Springer’s MyCopy: a chance to buy a sturdy paperbound copy of a book for $24.99 regardless of the current price: Bargains!

Contact Michael Noga for further information, and enjoy your new access to older Springer books!

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/springer-archive-sba/16214/feed/0authors@mit reading by Ellen Harrishttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/authorsmit-reading/16135/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/authorsmit-reading/16135/#commentsWed, 08 Oct 2014 13:11:31 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=16135Come hear Ellen Harris read from and discuss her latest book, George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends, published just this month by W. W. Norton & Company.

Ellen T. Harris, professor emerita at MIT, formerly the Class of 1949 Professor of Music, was MIT’s first associate provost for the arts. She is an internationally recognized scholar in Baroque opera, specializing in the music of Handel and Purcell. She is also a performing soprano.

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2014

5:30 pm

Lewis Music Library (Bldg. 14E, 160 Memorial Drive)

Refreshments will be served.

Free & open to the public – Questions? Contact: (617) 253-5249

authors@mit is a co-sponsored by the MIT Libraries and the MIT Press Bookstore

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/handel-ellen-harris/16058/feed/0Met Opera on Demand is here!http://libraries.mit.edu/news/opera-demand-here/15989/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/opera-demand-here/15989/#commentsWed, 17 Sep 2014 14:14:29 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15989Met Opera on Demand is now available to members of the MIT community (5 simultaneous users; MIT certificates needed). Enjoy video and audio opera performances from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, spanning more than 75 years of the company’s broadcast history.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/opera-demand-here/15989/feed/0Open mics – save the dates!http://libraries.mit.edu/news/open-mic-save-the-dates/15973/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/open-mic-save-the-dates/15973/#commentsWed, 10 Sep 2014 15:13:07 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15973Library music! The open mic events are returning on the first Fridays of October, November, and December. Here’s your chance to play our piano or your own instrument. Free audience supplied for all performers.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/portable-audio-recorders/15945/feed/0The music DVDs are out!http://libraries.mit.edu/news/music-dvds-out/15888/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/music-dvds-out/15888/#commentsWed, 03 Sep 2014 18:38:49 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15888DVDs in the Lewis Music Library are now in open stacks, right across from the service desk, where users can browse them. The collection of approx. 1,500 DVDs includes jazz, musicals, operas, documentaries, world music, and even some feature films (because film music is taught at MIT). Make your choices, have the cases unlocked by desk staff, and they are yours to enjoy for 7 days!

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/music-dvds-out/15888/feed/0What’s new at the Libraries this fallhttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/whats-libraries/15881/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/whats-libraries/15881/#commentsTue, 26 Aug 2014 17:47:01 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15881Welcome back! The MIT Libraries have been busy over your summer vacation. We’ve made improvements, added new resources, expanded our services, and lined up great events for the fall. Here are some of the new things you can look forward to:

New website

Our homepage has a new look Everyone wants to look their best going back-to-school, including us! With your feedback we made major improvements to our homepage. The fresh new design features a streamlined search bar, less clutter, and easy to find hours, locations, research guides, and experts.

Got data? Need help managing it? We can help MIT faculty and researchers manage, store, and share the data you produce. Evaluate your needs with this short checklist on our new Data Management website.

Expanded borrowing & easier renewing

More options for borrowing Borrow Direct, the partnership that allows you to borrow books from other Ivy League+ institutions, has expanded to include Johns Hopkins University. Search over 50 million volumes owned by Borrow Direct libraries through MIT’s WorldCat.

Keep your books longer You may have noticed this summer that you didn’t have to worry about renewing books as often. We launched automatic renewals this spring, giving you extra time with your books. Your library loans will now automatically renew 3 days before the due date, unless the book has been requested by another patron.

Upcoming events & exhibits

Fall exhibit opens Wired: A World Transformed by the Telegraph opens in the Maihaugen Gallery in September. Long before telephone or text, instantaneous messages travelled by telegraph. Explore the historic significance of this technological triumph of the 19th century through an exhibit featuring books, telegrams, photographs, manuscripts, and ephemera from the Libraries’ collections.

Fridays just got a little more fun, and furry Starting in October we’re expanding our popular therapy dog program. Now on the first Friday of each month this fall you can stop by Hayden Library for some one-on-one time with a dog. Petting a dog is great stress relief! Just drop by 2-4pm on October 3, November 7, or December 5.

Authors@MIT series returns The MIT Libraries and MIT Press Bookstore will offer a series of events with MIT authors. Join us in October for a reading by Ellen Harris who will discuss her most recent work, George Frideric Handel: A Life with Friends on Wednesday, October 22nd, at 5:30pm in the Lewis Music Library. Stay tuned for more events to come.

Follow the MIT Libraries on Twitter and Facebook for all the latest news and events.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/whats-libraries/15881/feed/0Study Sanctuary—Hayden’s Lipchitz Courtyardhttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/study-3/15758/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/study-3/15758/#commentsFri, 27 Jun 2014 18:00:24 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15758The Lipchitz Courtyard within Building 14 (adjacent to Hayden Library) is a hidden gem—a quiet, leafy retreat where you can find a sunny or shady spot to pull up a chair and read a book, or enjoy artwork from MIT’s Public Art Collection.

The courtyard contains three sculptures by 20th century Cubist artist Jacques Lipchitz. Photographer Yulla Lipchitz donated the monumental bronze sculptures by her late husband in memory of the late MIT President Jerome B. Wiesner, founder of the Council for the Arts at MIT.

The garden is also featured on the list of MIT’s pocket gardens, It contains paper birch trees, azalea, hydrangea, rhododendron, and flowering perennials. Stop by to see what’s in bloom, and enjoy this special oasis!

It is with bittersweet sentiment that I write my last blog for the MIT Libraries. This post will be about the top 10 things to know about the Libraries. I’ve covered some of these tips in other posts, so this entry will be a good way to tie it all together.

Bonus tip:The courtyard outside Hayden Library is a relaxing place to study.

Library hideaways can make studying just a little better. The Libraries have many beautiful places to study and also contain 24-hour study rooms. Check out my post about the Lewis Music Library.

Stop by the Libraries for textbooks. You don’t have to carry them around in order to study between classes. The Libraries have textbooks on reserve that you can check out for two hour increments. There are also some textbooks available online through the Libraries. It could save you significant money!

Think outside your courses for fun options at the Libraries. The Libraries have resources well outside science and technology. The Libraries have videos and travel books. Check out my spring break post for more ideas.

On a similar note, the Libraries can help you pursue your interests. The Lewis Library has concerts and open mics that could help nurture and preserve your interest in music. If art is more your style, the Libraries’ pass to the MFA allows you to take non-MIT friends along for free.

Student jobs at the MIT Libraries are a fantastic way to make money and learn. There are many ways to get involved. From the student workers I interviewed, I really got the sense that working at the Libraries had become more than just a job. In my short time here I have learned a lot about blogging and felt a community among the Libraries’ staff. Check out my student jobs post.

The libraries can make research less painful! For in-depth, longer-term research making an appointment with a librarian can go a long way. Subject matter experts can really push you in the right direction. See my post on research resources for more information.

Research guides provide a quicker fix and concise information. They can be accessed online and cover a wide range of subjects. More information is available in the research resources post.

One of the lesser known Libraries’ resources are the range of special events they host. During their IAPril series of events, I learned about using Mendeley software to manage PDFs and citations. There were also events on 3-D printing and business resources. Some events can be really surprising. For example, preservation week brought a letter locking event to MIT.

Meet at least one librarian or staff member during your time at MIT. When I met Jana Dambrogio, I was amazed by her passion for letter locking, something I had never heard of. Not only are they incredible resources, but the Libraries’ staff have unique interests that are refreshing for someone immersed in science and technology.

The Libraries’ scanners are fantastic. They create high quality images with no hassle. When I asked a few senior friends what they liked best, this was the most surprising answer.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it! There’s an excellent video on this topic made by the Libraries and featuring students. Best of luck readers!

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/discovering-libraries-10/15655/feed/0New! Access to the complete New Yorkerhttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/access-complete-yorker/15649/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/access-complete-yorker/15649/#commentsFri, 30 May 2014 21:31:38 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15649

The current issue and all past issues of The New Yorker—going all the way back to very first in 1925—are now available to the MIT community through our subscription to The New Yorker Digital Archive.

You can read the magazine in its full-color glory anywhere you have a browser and an internet connection (try it on your iPad). So if you’re traveling light this summer and have a hankering for “The Talk of the Town,” those sometimes uproarious, sometimes inscrutable cartoons, and a little Eustace Tilley, check out The New Yorker Digital Archive.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/access-complete-yorker/15649/feed/0OA research in the news: The structure of onscreen feelingshttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/research-news-structure/15433/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/research-news-structure/15433/#commentsWed, 14 May 2014 14:31:02 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=15433Can lines, shapes, and colors express emotions in movies? In her new book, “The Forms of the Affects,” literature professor Eugenie Brinkema closely looks at these properties in films like “Psycho” and “Open Water” and argues that they do. In her view, emotions or “affect” need not only be observed by watching characters embody a feeling like anxiety or grief. Rather, Brinkema says that formal properties like repetition, duration, and lighting show the emotion themselves.

Take the film “Open Water,” in which a husband and wife are accidentally left behind in shark-infested waters during a scuba diving trip. The movie is frightening and anxiety producing, in part, says Brinkema, because of its visual frame. Most scenes show the sea and the sky with a horizontal line between them. As time goes on in the film, that line is interrupted by shark fins above and bodies disappearing below.

“The commonplace assumption is that spectators pay money to go to horror films because it will make us feel anxious, and then we cathartically leave the theater at the end of the day and feel fine. But what if [the film’s] anxiety has to do with the specific visual form of movement and time?” Brinkema told the MIT News.

Since the MIT faculty established their Open Access Policy in March 2009 they have made thousands of research papers freely available to the world via DSpace@MIT. To highlight that research, we’re offering a series of blog posts that link news stories about scholars’ work to their open access papers in DSpace.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/research-news-structure/15433/feed/0Poetry in the Archiveshttp://libraries.mit.edu/news/poetic-license/14901/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/poetic-license/14901/#commentsThu, 24 Apr 2014 18:27:53 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=14901For National Poetry Month, a poem from MIT faculty papers housed in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.

“Ode to a Chromosome,” found in the papers of biologist Francis Otto Schmitt, is one of the poems we came across recently. Poetry in scientific and engineering collections is an unexpected treat. The poetic inclinations of members of the MIT community, from limericks to sonnets, can be found throughout the collections. Early issues of The Tech and Technique are filled with verse. Some verses are flowery, many are amusing, some reference MIT, and the theme of others is more broadly scientific. Some of the works are good and others not so good, depending on your poetic sensibilities.

MIT has spawned a number of poets, among them Frank Gelett Burgess, class of 1887, whose nonsense verse “Purple Cow: Reflections on a Mythic Beast Who’s Quite Remarkable, at Least” brought him fame but also frustration that it was the verse for which he was best known.

Discussion about the place of the humanities at MIT has been recurring since the establishment of the Institute in 1861. A 2010 editorial in The Tech by graduate student Emily Ruppel (“MIT – poetry = a travesty”) and a subsequent blog by John Lundberg for the Huffington Post (“Should MIT Teach Poetry?“) reflect on the value of poetry in a scientific and engineering community.

Authors don’t always rigorously cite their data sources—have you ever had a hard time finding the data underlying a publication?—but citing data is equally important in order to:

Give the data producer appropriate credit

Enable readers of your work to access the data, for their own use and to replicate your results

Fulfill publisher requirements

Need guidance and examples? See the Libraries guide to citing data. For help in citing data—or in identifying sources of data behind publications—contact Katherine McNeill, Social Science Data Services Librarian, mcneillh@mit.edu.

Want to know more about improved standards and practices in the field for data citation? See:

Priya Kalluri, ’16, doing research on several generations of Frankenstein adaptations, using MIT Libraries’ resources.

By MIT Libraries’ student blogger, Pri Tembhekar

Hello everyone! It is research season! Well at least many of us have design projects, theses, or final reports that require significant research. This week I’ll be highlighting some of the Libraries’ resources for research. You probably already know about finding print resources, such as books owned by the MIT Libraries. While this is a good first step, there are many additional sources of information that can add depth and breadth to your findings.

Subject matter experts are part of the Libraries’ staff and have specialized knowledge about subjects ranging from accounting to women’s and gender studies. These experts can provide research consultations for courses, theses, and other in-depth research. These consultations can be very valuable if you come prepared, and with a project that isn’t due in the next two hours. In case you are facing an impending deadline, these subject matter experts have kindly put together subject matter guides. For an example of how these can be used, take the one on energy. The experts have provided a list of easily accessible databases and journals along with short descriptions of their contents. This enables students to produce higher quality research than Google alone can facilitate. The guides are also a direct way to utilize MIT-only resources without much research into which resources are available and relevant. In short, some of the leg work has been done for you! For a particularly fun research guide, check out the one on designing and making stuff.

Along the same lines as the research guides, the Libraries provide class guides. Certain classes require substantial outside material and/or research from students. The professors can work with librarians to put together class guides especially usefully for that class. If your research is for a class, it is worth checking if there is a class guide for it. In my case, the guide for 10.27 (Energy Projects Lab) along with the Energy guide mentioned above and the Chemical Engineering guide were the foundation for preparing a meaty introduction to my final report in 10.27.

Finally, one of the simplest resources is a class textbook. The Libraries provide access to select textbooks online. I never thought to search for textbooks in the library until a friend mentioned last year that he wasn’t buying the textbook because he could access it through the Libraries. This is also useful if you find that you need a textbook for a class you aren’t taking or would like to peruse the textbook for a class you might take. Never hurts to look before you buy!

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/discovering-libraries-5/14820/feed/0Last open mic this semester – Friday, May 2http://libraries.mit.edu/news/last-open-mic/14885/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/last-open-mic/14885/#commentsWed, 23 Apr 2014 14:48:56 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=14885Join us for the final open mic this semester in the Lewis Music Library, one last chance to try out the new piano. Come jam, perform, or just listen. Everyone welcome. Bring your own music or use the library’s (we’ve got lots!).

Come eat pizza and learn more about Mendeley, a tool that helps you manage and share pdfs and easily generate citations and bibliographies when writing. Representatives from Mendeley, MIT Mendeley Advisors and library staff will be on hand to meet you, answer your questions and get feedback on this great tool.

The MIT Libraries has purchased Mendeley Institutional Edition for the MIT community. This gives MIT users more personal and shared space than what is available with a free Mendeley account. To find out more see our Mendeley page.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/learn-about-2/14765/feed/0Electroacoustics for lunch – Monday, April 28http://libraries.mit.edu/news/electroacoustics-lunch/14728/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/electroacoustics-lunch/14728/#commentsThu, 17 Apr 2014 13:35:16 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=14728Join us for a lunchtime performance by MIT’s Florian Hollerweger (Music and Theater Arts) and Forrest Larson (Lewis Music Library) as they explore acoustic and electronic sounds of ethereal and earthbound origins in a new collaboration.

Please join the MIT Libraries for a discussion with Samip Mallick, co-founder and Executive Director of The South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA). SAADA works nationally to give voice to South Asian Americans by documenting, preserving, and sharing stories that reflect their diverse experiences.

Mallick will share stories from the archive and SAADA’s unique approach to documenting and preserving community history. The discussion will be moderated by Professor Vivek Bald of MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing.

Photograph of Vaishno Das Bagai, pictured in a general store. Courtesy of Rani Bagai

Founded in 2008, SAADA has built a digital archive of over 1600 items, and through outreach and educational programming has raised awareness about the rich histories of South Asians in the United States.

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/community-archives/14623/feed/0Help identify MIT Banjo Club of ca.1893http://libraries.mit.edu/news/banjo-club-1893/14585/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/banjo-club-1893/14585/#commentsThu, 10 Apr 2014 17:09:13 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=14585Is one of these players your ancestor? Help identify members of MIT’s Banjo Club of ca.1893, the picture hanging outside the Lewis Music Library!

]]>http://libraries.mit.edu/news/banjo-club-1893/14585/feed/0Violin music concert Friday, 4/11/14http://libraries.mit.edu/news/violin-music-concert-6/14449/
http://libraries.mit.edu/news/violin-music-concert-6/14449/#commentsTue, 01 Apr 2014 14:22:47 +0000http://libraries.mit.edu/news/?p=14449The 12th annual Prokopoff violin music concert will be held on Friday, April 11, from 1-2 pm in the Lewis Music Library. Nine talented MIT students will perform music by Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Wieniawski, Bach, Paganini, and Elgar. Come enjoy some wonderful music in an attractive setting!

This event highlights the more than 2,000 violin music scores collected by Stephen Prokopoff and donated to the library in 2001 by Lois Craig, former Associate Dean of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning.